property
profile
Let, set, go
Knight Frank’s Laura Dam Villena and Stefano Palmiero talk about embracing
community spirit and launching the lettings arm of the Queen’s Park office
E
ver since launching the Queen’s
Park branch in the spring, office head Laura
Dam Villena has been making herself at
home in the area. Spreading the word about
the independent shops and eateries on the doorstep
to colleagues and clients alike, she has been working
her way through her favourite local haunts, one flat
white at a time. “The café culture around here is really
something else. I can’t stop buying coffee,” she laughs.
It seems there are plenty of others who share her
opinion, and consequently the local property market
is looking decidedly promising. “We have a really
good share at the top end of the market and have
achieved some great results,” she says. “There have
been a few instances when Knight Frank has taken on
a property that has been on the market with another
agent for most of the year, and we’ve managed to
achieve the asking price within a couple of months.”
The office’s target patch orbits the park, and
its sought-after surrounding streets, which include
Harvist Road, Chevening Road, Milman Road
and Kingswood Avenue, are dotted with great
instructions. “We’re really starting to make our mark
and establish our position,” Laura explains. “We’re
seeing an increasing trend for clients that we’ve dealt
with through our Notting Hill office wanting to move
to Queen’s Park. They really appreciate the fact that
you can get a house of the same size for substantially
less and become part of an active community with a
village feel to it. People like the fact that there’s a real
personality to the area.”
Queen’s Park certainly has personality in spades.
One case in point is the new Queen’s Park Design
District, which was created as part of the London
Design Festival to celebrate the artists, architects
and interior designers who live and work in the
area. Keen to stay ahead of the creative curve, the
office’s latest acquisition of artwork comes courtesy
of the son of a local architect. Queen’s Park is also
famed for its culinary prowess. “We’re the main
sponsor of the Queen’s Park Farmer’s Market, which
recently celebrated its ten-year anniversary,” Laura
says, adding that the team got involved handing out
hampers and there was a competition to win £100
worth of vouchers to one of her favourite local
restaurants, Ostuni.
Now that Knight Frank has tested the waters with
its sales department, Laura and the team have decided
that the time is right to launch the lettings side of the
business, headed up by Stefano Palmiero, who arrives
at Queen’s Park from the Islington office. “People
might have the misconception that because the area is
such a hotspot for families that the majority of homes
here are for sale, but there’s a strong selection of
rental properties too, from one-bedroom apartments
to large homes that are available for less than £1,000
a week,” Stefano explains. As well as offering
relative value for money and great transport links –
including the Bakerloo line at Queen’s Park and the
Overground at Brondesbury Park – it is the calibre
of local schools that is making the area popular with
families. “I think in the next couple of years we’ll see
a big influx of French families moving to be closer to
the new French lycée opening in Wembley,” he says.
Young couples are also attracted to the area
thanks to the great selection of one- and twobedroom properties and a new wave of contemporary
developments, including Queen’s Park Place opposite
the Tube station. “Apartments like these are
becoming very popular with people who relocate for
work and want a low-maintenance home away from
home,” Stefano says. “The idea of having a concierge
is popular too. People these days want convenience
at any cost.
“Renting is definitely becoming more of a lifestyle
choice,” he continues. “I read somewhere recently
that saving up £100,000 for a deposit, stamp duty and
legal fees is the equivalent of ten years’ of rent. In the
UK we have this mind-set that we have to own our
own property, but if you go abroad, everyone rents. I
think you’ll start to see more and more families renting
long-term as opposed to putting themselves under the
pressure of having to buy somewhere.”
Once overshadowed by its more well-known
neighbours, Queen’s Park is now north-west
London’s worst-kept secret. “I didn’t know a lot
about the area until I started to work here but I
absolutely love it around here,” Stefano admits. “I
enjoyed the community spirit at the farmer’s market.
I was texting all my friends saying that they had to
come and pay a visit.”
For the rest of the year Stefano will be growing
the lettings side of the business, adding to a portfolio
of properties that already includes period homes on
Brooksville Avenue, Salusbury Road and Keslake
Road. On the sales side of things, the office continues
to go from strength to strength, as Knight Frank
helps to sell some of the most sought-after properties
in the area. But although the agency as a whole
has always had a stronghold over the top end of
the market, Laura is keen to stress that the office
deals with properties of all price ranges. “The first
property we sold around here achieved £500,000.
People shouldn’t be afraid to call up or pop in just
because we are known as experts at the top end of
the market. We’re absolutely delighted to give our
professional advice to people at any price level.”
60 Salusbury Road, NW6, 020 3815 3020
knightfrank.co.uk
Photography by Sarel Jansen
lu x u r y l o n d o n .c o.u k
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